ALMOCERA, CATHY SHANDY

Integration Assignment

1. What now is your image of a child? Who is a child? (15 pts).

2. What do you think are the competencies that should be developed or acquired by people or
organizations that are working with and for children in support of child rights? (15 pts)

3. With the knowledge you acquired from this course about children, particularly, about who the
child is, give your thought/s about the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal
responsibility?  Please read through the proposed law and give a summary of the highlights of
the proposed law (20 pts). Do you agree with the lowering of the minimum age of criminal
responsibility? Why? Why not? Defend your answer using the different theories of child
development (50 pts).

Write all the names of group members on the first page of the assignment and please use this
format in naming your file:  Integration_ Your Surname_Assignment.

You need to get a score of 75 or better for this integration assign

Our first impression of the child is that of an blank slate, pure and innocent child. We believe
that children are innocent from birth and simply desire to be loved and guided to grow by
parents so they can contribute to society and their environment. We believe that over time, our
perception of the innocent child was developed through the influence of their culture, education,
and society.

We all have an implicit image of the child and there are several reflections in this image. The
first is the subjective, personalized one that we each know through our own childhood
experiences. The second type is the objective, concrete one, which is formed through observing
and reflecting on the children we encounter throughout our lives. The biggest image of all,
however, is the cultural one, which is influenced by the society and family values of the
individuals involved and its values and beliefs about what childhood should be. Every civilization
has its own set of dreams and expectations for children.

Development in children is frequently compared to the metaphor "climbing a ladder". Each stage
of their lives serves as a building block for the next crucial stages, and continues until they
reach the certain point of maturity towards their development.

We believe that our understanding from our studies has impacted how we view children from
being a blank slate to being the children whom they are at the present. Also, we believe that our
interactions with children have greatly influenced our perceptions of children. Due to a variety of
factors, including knowledge gathered from child development courses, reflection on one's own
childhood experiences, and the understanding of likes from dislikes, our concept has drastically
changed; also reading and understanding what different theorist such as Eric Erickson’s,
Sigmund Freud and Jean Piaget’s views were on the image of the child.

Now, who is a child? Based on the definition of a child, a person between the ages of infancy
and puberty or between the developmental stages of birth and puberty is referred to as a child
(plural: children). The term "child" as used in law often refers to a minor, also known as a person
under the age of majority. Children typically have less rights and obligations than adults. They
are classified as being unable to make important judgments.

The world's future lies with children. They will be the decision-makers who will shape our
generation's future and who will be tomorrow's leaders. As children are malleable, it is our
responsibility to shape them correctly and guide them on the right path by supporting and
protecting their human rights.

2. What do you think are the competencies that should be developed or acquired by people or
organizations that are working with and for children in support of child rights? (15 pts)

Child protection professionals must have adequate training, possess the necessary skills, and be
knowledgeable about children's rights in order to support the child in upholding his rights and behaving
in his best interests.

Adults should consider how their choices may impact children while making decisions. All adults should
act in the children's best interests. Authorities should ensure that parents or other adults are in charge
of protecting and caring for children when necessary. Governments must guarantee that those in charge
of caring for children are doing a decent job. They should also be familiar with the legal and institutional
frameworks for child rights and advocacy in effect at the local level.

In order for these people or organization to understand children better, they should also understand
what tickles their minds. To enhance a child's learning, it's necessary to consider both their interests and
dislikes. It's necessary to offer them the things they are interested in or prefer. When a child dislikes
something, they will be hesitant and unable to learn from it, making it impossible for them to learn or
discover new things. The ideal approach is generally to pay attention to a child's interests and likes.

Parents, Teachers, other people, and organizations with an interest in support of child's rights should
concentrate on effective communication techniques that are at the child's level while working with
young children. Parents and teachers must also pay attention to behavior and comprehend the various
emotional needs of young children. They must be able to understand child-friendly interviewing
techniques and communication strategies.

Also, they should observe the non-discrimination principle. Non-discrimination implies that all children
have an equal opportunity to reach their potential at all times and under all conditions. All children have
all these rights, no matter who they are, where they live, what language they speak, what their religion
is, what they think, what they look like, if they are a boy or girl, if they have a disability, if they are rich or
poor, and no matter who their parents or families are or what their parents or families believe or do.
They should have the right to a safe, positive environment where they can all grow, develop, and reach
their full potential. Through adhering to non-discrimination principle, they will be able to create a safe
space for the children to freely express themselves and exercise their rights.

3. With the knowledge you acquired from this course about children, particularly, about who the
child is, give your thought/s about the proposal to lower the minimum age of criminal
responsibility?  Please read through the proposed law and give a summary of the highlights of
the proposed law (20 pts). Do you agree with the lowering of the minimum age of criminal? Why
responsibility? Why not? Defend your answer using the different theories of child development
(50 pts).
"This bill was brought about by the alarming increase in the number of criminal syndicates using minors
to carry out criminal acts based on recent news reports. It is high time to pass this bill in order to protect
our children from being used by ruthless and unscrupulous criminal syndicates to evade prosecution and
punishment," Rep. Doy Leachon (1st District, Oriental Mindoro)

Leachon claims that the increase in child criminals reported since 2006 shows that more and more
Filipino children are being exploited for criminal purposes. He responded to criticism from the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) (CBCP).
According to Leachon, reducing the age of criminal responsibility is essential to protecting children from
the exploitation and abuse of syndicates and criminals. The bill prioritizes child reform and rehabilitation
over punishment and detention.

"Let it be understood that with the present bill, we are not putting these children in jail but in
reformative institutions to correct their ways and bring them back to the community. They are not
branded as criminals but children in conflict with law. Reformative institutions do not punish individuals
but instead, they were established to help the children to be integrated back to the community after
they have committed criminal acts," Leachon said.

Also, developed nations and nearby countries have incorporated comparable minimum ages of criminal
responsibility into law. Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, the USA, England, and
Switzerland are among the countries mentioned.

The proposal, together with efforts to alter criminal penalties and establish additional courts to alleviate
the clog in the system, is a part of a larger plan to address the inefficiencies in the Philippine criminal
justice system.